Suspected extremist arrested in Tripura

Agartala, Jun 18: BSF personnel arrested a suspected terrorist from the Bhagalpur area of the capital city while he was trying to sneak into Tripura from Bangladesh. Police said here today that intelligence officials had confirmed the links between Sagam Ali, who was detained on Sunday, and international terrorist outfits.

Sagam had claimed that he earned his living by begging in Tripura, Assam and Bangladesh. However, the intention of his international movements and the documents seized from his possession did not substantiate the claim. Four active mobile SIM cards, including one of Bangladesh, and an amulet containing the name, an international passport and address of a Karachi-based suspected ISI agent were seized from his possession. Police said the suspect, a resident of Bongaigaon in Assam, had his passport issued from Guwahati last year and was a member of the Bangladesh-based outfit Hazrat Shah Sultan Gyasuddin Awalia.

Moreover, he had travelled extensively between Bangladesh and Pakistan last year.

During investigation, it was revealed that Sagam had travelled to Pakistan last year and come back to India through Amritsar but tried to conceal his Pakistan visit and was repeatedly pleading that begging was his vocation.

Police suspected that he had been working as an overground informer of international terrorist associations, including the ISI, HUJI and Awalia, and spreading the network pretending to be a beggar.

Meanwhile, both police and intelligence officials here recommended handing over the case to the CID and Sagam would be produced before the court after initial phase of investigation, sources added.

Earlier, in April, one Mamun Mian, resident of Bangladesh, was arrested by West Bengal police from Agartala following which Tripura Food Minister Sahid Choudhury had been forced to resign from the sixth Left Front Ministry for his alleged association with Mamun.

Three cases had been filed against Mamun in Tripura and West Bengal, as initial investigation established that Mamun had links with international terrorist organisations, including HUJI, and was now lodged in a jail in West Bengal.